ISLAMABAD: Pakistan‘s foreign minister will travel to countries in the region, including Iran and Tajikistan, tomorrow, Tuesday, to consult on the situation in Afghanistan whose neighbors are urging it to try to reach an inclusive political settlement as soon as possible.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced this in a statement released on Monday ahead of his visit to Uzbekistan on Tuesday on a trip that will also include stops in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Iran. He said he had already spoken with officials in China by phone.
“I will go to Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran and consult with the leadership there,” Qureshi said. “We have had talks with China.”
As the Taliban takes over in the strategic, landlocked nation, Pakistan, India, China and other regional powers are looking to cement their grip.
Pakistan has deep ties with the Taliban and has been accused of supporting the group as it battled the US-backed government in Kabul — charges denied by Islamabad. When the Taliban captured Kabul last week, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said Afghans had broken the “shackles of slavery.”
India, Pakistan’s old enemy, was a key supporter of the ousted regime in Kabul, but over the past year as the Taliban emerged as a dominant force and US-brokered negotiations began in Doha, Indian diplomats had opened a line with the group.
Qureshi dispelled the idea that Pakistan had a problem with India’s relations with any government in Afghanistan.
“No objection to India’s good relations with Afghanistan,” his statement said, also rejecting Indian media reports that the foreign minister had traveled to Kabul recently.
“Indian media made a fuss about my going to Kabul, Indian media should confirm before speaking,” Qureshi said. “I did not go to Kabul.”
Pakistani FM to visit Iran, Tajikistan, other regional powers to consult on Afghanistan
https://arab.news/r3b4z
Pakistani FM to visit Iran, Tajikistan, other regional powers to consult on Afghanistan
- Qureshi will leave for Uzbekistan on Tuesday on trip that will include stops in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Iran
- Dispels idea that Pakistan has a problem with India’s relations with any government in Afghanistan
Pakistan to promote mineral sector at Saudi forum this month with 13 companies
- Delegation will take part in the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh from Jan. 13-15
- Petroleum minister will lead Pakistan, participate in a 90-minute country session
ISLAMABAD: Around 13 Pakistani state-owned and private companies will attend the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Saudi Arabia from Jan. 13 to 15, an official statement said on Friday, as the country seeks to ramp up global engagement to develop its mineral resources.
The FMF is an international conference and investment platform for the mining sector, hosted by mineral-rich countries to attract global investors, companies and governments.
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik confirmed Pakistan’s participation in a meeting with the Saudi envoy, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki.
Pakistan hosts one of the world’s largest copper-gold zones. The Reko Diq mine in southwestern Balochistan, with an estimated 5.9 billion tons of ore, is partly owned by Barrick Gold, which calls it one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold deposits. Its development is expected to boost Pakistan’s struggling economy.
“Upon an invitation of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Federal Minister informed the Ambassador that Pakistan will fully participate in the upcoming Future Minerals Forum (FMF), scheduled to be held in Riyadh later this month,” Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said in an official statement.
The Pakistani minister will lead his country’s delegation at the FMF and take part in a 90-minute country showcase session titled “Unleashing Potential: Accelerating Pakistan’s Mineral Revolution” along with local and foreign investors.
Pakistan will also establish a dedicated pavilion to highlight the vast potential of its rich geological landscape to the global mineral community.
The Saudi envoy welcomed Pakistan’s decision to participate in the forum and discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation in the minerals and energy sectors during the meeting.
According to the statement, he highlighted the potential for cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in the minerals and energy sectors, expressing confidence that the FMF would provide a platform to expand collaboration.
Pakistan’s mineral sector, despite its rich reserves of salt, copper, gold and coal, contributes only 3.2 percent to the country’s GDP and just 0.1 percent to global mineral exports.
However, many countries, including the United States, have shown interest in Pakistan’s underdeveloped mineral sector, particularly in copper, gold and other critical resources.
In October, Pakistan dispatched its first-ever shipment of rare earth and critical minerals to the United States, according to a Chicago-based US public relations firm’s report.
